Valve for compound engines.



Patented Oct. 23, ]900 S. M. VAUCLAIN. VALVE FOB COMPOUND ENGINES.

(Application filed May 24, 1900.)

2 Sheets Sheet I.

(No Model.)

M mu Patented Oct. 2 3, I900. S. M. VAUCLAIN. I VALVE FOR COMPOUNDENGINES.

(Application filed May 24, 1900.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL M. VAUCLAIN, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

VALVE FOR COMPOUND ENGINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 660,474, dated October23, 1900.

Application filed May 24, 1900. Serial No. 17,882. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL M. VAUOLAIN, a citizen of the United States,residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certainImprovements in Valves for Compound Engines, of which the following is aspecification.

The object of my invention is to provide a compound engine with a singlevalve common to both the high and low pressure cylinders which is sodesigned that the steam will enter at the center and exhaust at theends, thus making a balanced valve and-a cylinder-casting havingcomparatively, short and straight passages. I

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional viewof myimproved valve with sufticient of the valvechest to illustratemyinvention. Fig. 2 is a sectional view through the cylinder andvalve-chest on the line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional view on theline 3 3, Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line at 4:, Fig.1.

A'is a casting containing the high and low pressure cylinders B and Dand the valvechest 0. The casting shown forms part of alocomotive-engine, Fig. 2 showing one-half of the saddle.

a is the steam-inlet passage to the valvechest, and b is theexhaust-passage.

The valve-chest C has a bushing c, and this bushing is perforated at theports to permit the steam to enter and exhaust from the Valve-chest.

It will be understood that other forms of cylinder structures may beused without departing from my invention.

Referring to Fig. 1, S is thesteam-inlet port, communicating with aninlet-passage a in the cylinder-casting, and on each side of thissteam-inlet port are the ports H H, leading from the valve-chest to thehigh-pressure cylinder B. At each end of the chest are the exhaust-portsE E, forming communication between the chest 0 and the exhaust-passageI), while between the exhaust-ports E and the high-pressure ports H arethe ports L, leading from the valve-chest to the low-pressure cylinderB. It will be seen that the steaminlet port is at the center and theexhaustports are at each end and the ports leading to the two cylindersbetween the exhaustports and the central steam-port.

F is a hollow piston-valve formed in the manner shown in Fig. 1, havingan annular passage fat the center, which is of a sufficient size thatwhen it is shifted it will allow steam to pass to either of thehigh-pressure ports. The piston is hollow, as mentioned, and at each endare portsf, which communicate with each other through the body of thepiston, and these ports f are so proportioned that they will form acommunication between the ports leading from the high pressure on theone side to the low pressure on the opposite side. Each end of the valveis closed, and the valve is so proportioned that it will uncover one orother of the low-pressu re ports to exhaust as it is reciprocated.

F is the valve-rod, which passes through an ordinary stuffing-box c inthe head 0 of the chest.

When the valve is in the position shown in Fig. 1, the steam is cut offfrom the highpressure cylinder, and the low-pressure cylinder is alsocut oif from the high-pressure cylinder, and one of the low-pressurecylinders is slightly uncovered to exhaust.

When the valve is moved in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 1, the portL at the forward end of the chest will be uncovered and will communicatewith the opposite end of the high-pressure cylinder through the port Hat the rear, and the port at the forward end will communicate with thelive-steam port S through the annular passage f in the piston, and thelow-pressure port L at the rear will communicate with the exhaust. Whenthe valve F is returned, the direction of steam will be reversed. Thus Iam enabled to control the flow of steam from the steam-inlet port of thehigh-pressure cylinder and from the high-pressure to the lowpressurecylinder and from the low-pressure cylinder to exhaust with a singlevalve in which the steam-inlet port is at the center and theexhaust-ports at each end.

My invention is an improvement upon the Letters Patent granted to me onthe 25th day of June, 1889, No. 406,112.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination in a valve structure forcompound engines, of a valve-chest having a port connected to the sourceof steam-supply at the center, ports connected to the exhaust at eachend, and having intermediate ports leading to the high and low pressurecylinders, with a hollow valve having a central annular channel f andports at each side of the channel communicating with each other throughthe valve, substantially as described.

2. The combination in a valve forcompound engines, of the high and lowpressure cylinders situated side by side, a valve-chest common to bothcylinders, a steam-chest having a central supply port communicating withthe supply-passage in the cylinder-casting and exhaust-ports at each endcommunicating with the exhaust-passage of the cylindercasting, and oneset of high=pressure ports at each side of the central steam-inlet portcommunicating with the ends of the high-pres sure cylinder, and lowpressure ports communicating with each end of the low-pressurecylinders, said lowpressure ports opening into the chest between thehighpressure ports and the exhaust-ports, with a hollow valve having acentral annular steam-passage and ports at each end communicating witheach other, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of 0 two subscribing witnesses.

SAMUEL M. VAUOLAIN.

Witnesses? E. P. WILLIAMS, GEO. GIBBS.

